A Kurdish news website reported that the clerical regime has conducted a vast operation of arresting Kurdish activists during the New Year holiday. The Kurdpa website said at least 20 Kurdish Iranians were arrested in the cities of Sanandaj and Bukan, in western Iran, during ‘Norouz’, the Persian calendar New Year. They were all transferred to an unknown location. The detained individuals were arrested during a Norouz dance party. Four of the detainees are family members of executed political prisoner Farhad Vakili. The names of these individuals are Shahla, Jahangir, Mokhtar and Jahanbakhsh.
In another similar case at least 15 people taking part in a Norouz ceremony in the city of Bukan were arrested and transferred to another location. Kameel Fegh’h Ahmad, Ribwar Pejhgul, Fakhredin Ahmadi and Suleiman Karaimi are the names of four of these individuals.
A 24-year-old prisoner by the name of Saeed Naderi was also arrested. There is no information about his whereabouts.

(March 24, 2016)